Introduction: Few studies have investigated the impact of active surveillance on pathological outcome ground-glass nodules (GGNs). We focused on GGNs that needed preoperative localization before resection and compared the pathological results between GGNs that underwent early resection or active surveillance.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data of resected GGNs between January 2017 and December 2018. GGNs were classified by early resection (Group A) and active surveillance (Group B). Group B was subclassified as no (Group B1) and with (Group B2) growth, and intergroup comparison of pathological results was undertaken.
Results: In total, 509 GGNs (124, 275, and 110 in Groups A, B1, and B2, respectively) were included. Malignancy (primary lung cancer) ratios were 68% and 72% in Groups A and B (p = .312) and 65% and 92% in Groups B1 and B2, respectively (p < .001). The ratios of invasive carcinoma were 21.4%, 9.6%, and 35.6% in Groups A, B1, and B2, respectively. Predictors for invasive carcinoma included history of lung cancer, GGN size ≥ 10 mm, solid size ≥ 6 mm, and GGN growth.
Conclusions: The pathological findings were similar for GGNs in the early resection and active surveillance groups. However, rates of malignancy and invasive carcinoma increased in the group that manifested growth during active surveillance.
Keywords: ground-glass nodules; pathology; surgery.
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